Ewart
Oakeshott (1916 - 2002) is widely regarded as the preeminent scholar
of the Medieval sword. His contribution to our understanding of the
different types and their time-periods was groundbreaking.

Picking up where Jan Petersen's typology of the Viking Sword left
off, Oakeshott classified the Medieval sword into "types" which shared
the same basic blade profile and other characteristics related to
its function. Coupled with his classification of hilt components,
it is possible to approximate the time period of a particular sword.

To make this more understandable, and in order to be able to explain
Oakeshott's typology to people unfamiliar with swords, we have broken
it down into these 9 basic characteristics: Profile; Cross Section;
Average Blade Length; Fuller; Point; Grip; Average Weight; Primary
Purpose; and Period.

The source of the data represented here is not only from Oakeshott's
published sources, but also from Peter Johnsson's hands-on documentation
of period originals and the studies of other craftsmen here at Albion.

Please keep in mind that this typology is a modern construct and would
have been quite foreign to blademakers and cutlers of the period.
Not all swords fit neatly into a given "type" -- something that Oakeshott
freely admitted. The typology should be regarded as a tool to enhance
your understanding of the Medieval sword and its intended function,
not a final authority.

Type
X

Profile:
broad and medium length

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: 31 inches

Fuller: wide fuller runs almost the entire length of
the blade, fades out about an inch before the point

Point: can be acute, but is usually rounded

Grip:
single-hand, usually 3.75" (9-10cm)

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: common during the Viking age (9th - 10th c.),
and well into the 12th c

Sub-Type
Xa

Profile:
same as Type X, a little longer than average Type X

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: around 31 inches

Fuller: sames as Type X, fuller more narrow

Point: can be acute, but is usually rounded

Grip:
single-hand, usually 3.75" (9-10cm)

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: in use from 11th c to 14th c

Type
XI

Profile:
longer, more narrow than Type X

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: 37"

Fuller: narrow fuller

Point: often acute

Grip:
single-hand, usually 3.75" (9-10cm)

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: early to late 12th c

Sub-Type
XIa

Profile:
broader and shorter blade than typical Type XI

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: 30"

Fuller: narrow fuller

Point: often acute

Grip:
single-hand, usually 3.75" (9-10cm)

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: early to late 12th c

Type
XII

Profile:
broad, flat and evenly tapering

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: around 32"

Fuller: 2/3's of the length of the blade

Point: acute

Grip:
single-hand, usually 3.75" (9-10cm)

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: 13th and 14th c.

Sub-Type
XIIa

Profile:
broad, flat and evenly tapering

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: 35"

Fuller: 2/3's of the length of the blade

Point: acute

Grip:
hand-and-half to two-hand length, 6" to 10"

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: Great Sword or War Sword, in use during much
of the High Medieval period, 13th and 14th c

Type
XIII

Profile:
broad, flat and parallel edges

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: 35"

Fuller: 1/2 of the length of the blade, can be multiple

Point: rounded

Grip:
longer than usual, single-hand to hand and a half

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: middle of the 13th c to the latter half of
the 14th c

Sub-Type
XIIIa

Profile:
broad, flat and parallel edges

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: 32" - 40"

Fuller: 1/2 of the length of the blade, can be multiple

Point: rounded

Grip:
hand-and-half to two hand length, 6" to 10"

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: Great Sword or War Sword, in use from middle
of the 13th c to the latter half of the 14th

Sub-Type
XIIIb

Profile:
broad, flat and parallel edges

Cross-section: lenticular
Average Blade Length: 35"

Fuller: 1/2 of the length of the blade, can be multiple
Point: rounded

Grip:
single-hand, usually 4" (10cm)

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting

Period: mid 13th c to latter half of the 14th c

Type
XIV

Profile:
broad, flat and sharply tapering

Cross-section: lenticular

Average Blade Length: 30"

Fuller: 3/4 of the length of the blade, can be multiple

Point: acute

Grip:
single-hand, usually 3.5" (8-9cm)

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cut and thrust

Period: late 13th c to mid 14th c

Type
XV

Profile:
strongly tapered

Cross-section: flat diamond, some hollow ground and
some with a reinforced triangular midrib

Average Blade Length: 31"

Fuller: none

Point: acute

Grip:
single-hand

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: thrusting

Period: end of the 13th c, more widely used in the
14th and 15th c, ending in the early 16th c

Sub-Type
XVa

Profile:
strongly tapered, more narrow and slender than
Type XV

Cross-section: flattened diamond, some hollow-ground

Average Blade Length: 33"

Fuller: none

Point: acute

Grip:
hand and a half, from 7" to 9" (10" in a few cases)

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: thrusting

Period: end of the 13th c, more widely used in the
14th and 15th c, ending in the early 16th c

Type
XVI

Profile:
broad, flat and sharply tapering

Cross-section: flattened diamond

Average Blade Length: 28" to 32"

Fuller: 1/2+ of the blade

Point: acute

Grip:
single-hand

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: thrusting while retaining good cutting
ability

Period: early 14th c

Sub-Type
XVIa

Profile:
long and slowly tapering

Cross-section: flat hexagonal
Average Blade Length: 32"

Fuller: 1/3+ of the blade

Point: acute

Grip:
hand and half 6" to 9"

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: thrusting while retaining good cutting
ability

Period: early 14th c

Type
XVII

Profile:
long, slender and acutely tapering

Cross-section: narrow and stout hexagonal

Average Blade Length: 35"

Fuller: shallow, 1/4 of the blade

Point: acute

Grip:
hand and half 7" to 9"

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: thrusting

Period: between c. mid 14th c. to early 15th c

Type
XVIII

Profile:
fairly broad (2"-2½") at the hilt, and tapers gracefully to
a sharp point

Cross-section: flattened diamond, often with pronounced
mid-rib, some hollow-ground

Average Blade Length: 32"

Fuller: some have a narrow, short fuller

Point: acute

Grip:
single-hand, 4"

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: between c. mid 14th c. to early 15th c

Sub-Type
XVIIIa

Profile:
somehwat slender and tapers gracefully to a sharp point

Cross-section: flattened diamond, often with pronounced
mid-rib, some hollow-ground

Average Blade Length: 36"- 42"

Fuller: some have a narrow, short fuller

Point: acute

Grip:
single-hand to hand and a half, 5"+

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: between c. mid 14th c. to early 15th c

Sub-Type
XVIIIb

Profile:
long, slender and acutely pointed

Cross-section: flattened diamond, often with pronounced
mid-rib, some hollw-ground

Average Blade Length: 36"-42"

Fuller: none

Point: acute, usually reinforced

Grip:
hand and a half, 10"-11", usually waisted

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: between c. mid 15th c. to early 16th c

Sub-Type
XVIIIc

Profile:
broad and acutely pointed

Cross-section: flattened diamond, often with pronounced
mid-rib, some hollw-ground

Average Blade Length: 34"

Fuller: some have a narrow, short fuller

Point: acute

Grip:
hand and a half, 6"+

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: between c. mid 15th c. to early 16th c

Sub-Type
XVIIId

Profile:
long, slender and acutely pointed

Cross-section: flattened diamond, often with pronounced
mid-rib, some hollw-ground

Average Blade Length: 36"-42"

Fuller: none

Point: acute, usually reinforced

Grip:
hand and a half, 10"-11", usually waisted

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: between c. mid 15th c. to early 16th c

Sub-Type
XVIIIe

Profile:
long and acutely pointed

Cross-section: flattened diamond, often with pronounced
mid-rib, some hollw-ground

Average Blade Length: 36"-42"

Fuller: narrow, short fuller in ricasso

Point: acute, usually reinforced

Grip:
hand and a half to two-handed

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: between c. mid 15th c. to early 16th c

Type
XIX

Profile:
not always so broad, some are quite slim, but always a
flat hexagonal sectiont

Cross-section: flat hexagonal with chamfered edges

Average Blade Length: 30"-38"

Fuller: ricasso with narrow fuller in upper 1/3rd of
the blade

Point: sharp and spade shaped

Grip:
single hand to hand and a half

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: mid 15th c.

Type
XX

Profile:
broad, almost parallel edges gracefully tapering to a point

Cross-section: lenticular or octagonal with shallow
fullers

Average Blade Length: 30"-38"

Fuller: shallow central fuller 1/2 of the blade, with
two shallow parallel fullers
in the upper 1/4, sometimes with a ricasso

Grip:
hand and a half

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: 14th and 15th c.

Sub-Type
XXa

Profile:
tapers more acutely than Type XX and a more acute point

Cross-section: flat hexagonal

Average Blade Length: 30"-38"

Fuller: central fuller 1/2 of the blade, with two parallel
fullers
in the upper 1/4, sometimes with a ricasso

Point: acute

Grip:
hand and a half

Average Weight:

Primary purpose: cutting and thrusting

Period: 14th and 15th c.

Type
XXI

Profile:
broad, slowly tapering to an acute point

Cross-section: wide and flat with marked edge bevels
and sometimes a shallow midrib, or it can be wide and hexagonal
On some blades the cross section is almost like a flat diamond
section with the fullers cut out, leaving the midrib and the
edge bevels

Average Blade Length: 30"

Fuller: 2 wide and shallow fullers in the upper part
of the blade, or 2 fullers running almost the entire length

Point: acute

Grip:
both long gripped and single hand. Some bigger ones are
War Sword size